William h



(ModeL) I I TH.

SPRING HINGE. 3

bro- 381,100., f 8.-

IN. PETERS, Plwwumomplwn Wilhlngtun, 0.0.

7 UNIT D STATES WILLIAM BEATH,

' SPRING-HINGE,

f PATENT Orricn.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 110.381.100, dated April17; 1888.

Application filed November 17, 1887. Serial N0. 255,481. (Modem:

To all whom it may concern.- 7 I .Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. BEATH,a citizen of the United: States, residing in the city of Rockford, inthe county of Winnebago and Stateof Illinois, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Spring-Hinges, of

which the following is a specification. V

The object of this invention is to improve this class of spring-hinges,to simplify their construction, toproduce a durable and efficient hingeat a reduced cost, and at the same time embody all the advantages of themore complicated hinges.

To this end I have designed and constructed ,the spring-hingerepresented in the accompanying drawings, in which K Figure 1 is a frontelevation. of a springhinge embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 isavertical central section of the same on dotted line a on Fig. 1. Fig. 3is a transverse section on dotted line b on Fig. 1, showing the pawlengaging the teeth of the ratchet. Figs. 4 and 5 are isometricalrepresentations of the plates of the hinge. :Fig. 6 is an isometricalrepresentation of the pintle-key. Fig. 7 is an isometricalrepresentation of the combined clutch-head and ratchet.

The plate'l of my improved hinge is com- I posed of the usual baseportion, which is pro- 0' vided with holes for the reception of screwsto fix it in place. Ears 2 and 3 project from the base portion. Theupper ear, 2, is bored for the reception of a pintle-key. Apintle-stud,-

4, rises from the upper face of the lower ear, 3, for a purpose toappear hereinafter. Between the ears 2 and 3 is formed a pawl, 5, asshown, projecting from the'base portion.

The plate 6 is substantially like plate 1, with holes for the receptionof screws. Ears 7 and 8 project from the base portion. The upper ear, 7,is bored to receive a pintle-key., A boss, 9, with'a central openingrises from the upper face of 'the ear 8. The opening is of such size asto admit the stud 4, rising from the ear 3. A combined clutch-head andratchet, 10, is made with a central opening, .11, preferably of a squareform, (shown in Fig. 7,) and with a depending flange to engage'the endof the spring. A pintle-key, 12, consists of a j 5o head and shankportion. The upper portion the ears 2 and 7, while the remainder is ofthe square form shown in Fig. 6 to enter the opening in thecombinedclutch-head andiratchet. A spring, 13, surrounds the pintle;key,the upper end engaging the clutch-head and the lower end surrounding theboss- 9.

with the clutch-head, is placed between the ears 7 and 8, so that thelower end. of the To put my improved springrhinge together, the ears ofplate 6 are placed between the ears of plate 1, so that the stud 4 on68.113 Will'ent'er, the opening in the ear 8, and so thatthe open Thespring'will surround the boss 9' on the ear 8 V and the end of thespring will rest against the plate 6, and the opening in the combinedclutch-head and ratchet will coincide with the openings in ears 2 and"7.The pintle-k'ey is then inserted downward through the opening in theears 2 and 7 and combined clutch-head and ratchet 10. The lower end ofthe pintle will enter the opening in the boss 9, which will prevent thespring flying out, and also guide the pi'ntle-key in. its endwisemovement;

When the parts are in this position, a portion i of the pintle-keyprojects above the ear 2', and the end of its rounded portion will comein contact with the combined clutch-head; and

ratchet, for a purpose to appear hereinafter.

To increase the tension of the spring to hold the door closed with moreor less force, the operatorwill push downward on the pintlekey, whichwill consequently disengage the ratchet from its connection with'thepawl 5. A Thenby turning the pintle-key to the left the tension ofthespring will be increased,

and by lessening "the downward pressure on the pintle-key the, action ofthe springwill force the. ratchet into engagement with the pawl and holdthe spring as adjusted.

It will be seen by the foregoingde'scription and an inspection of thedrawings that I have produced a singleacting spring-hinge of but fewpieces. 1 do not'employ the usual-clutchhead at the bottom ofthe'spring, as the ear'8 of plate 6 is of suchform as to serve thedouble y purpose of a clutch-head and connection ofthe Ioo plates 1 and6, and my spring-hinge, constructed as herein set forth and shown,embodies but two pieces over the ordinary loose butt-to wit, a springand combined clutchhead and ratchet. Therefore it will be seen that I amable to make a spring-hinge embodying all the elements necessary for acomplete single-acting spring-hinge at a reduced cost.

I claim as my invention The herein-described single-acting spring hinge,consisting, essentially, of the two secnring plates orleaves, thecombined clutch-head and ratchet, the spring and the pintle-key, the

securing-plate being provided with cars per- I 5 forated to registerwithone another, the spring seated at one end directly on one of the earsand at the opposite end on the combined clutch-head and ratchet, thepintle-key extending through the axial center of the hinge 20 andcombined clutch-head and ratchet, and one of the plates being furtherprovided with a pawl to engage the teeth on the ratchet, substantiallyas set forth.

WILLIAM H. BEATH. Witnesses:

A. O. BEHEL, J A0013 BEHEL.

